The Second Coming
by pokeitlikejello
Summary: AU. It's 2012. The takeover. The world as we knew it is over. It's not chance, it's fate. Your integrity is challenged and you will learn who you are. CROSSOVER with House MD.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Don't own X-Files nor House.  
**Author's Note:** This started off coming from a very dark place. And went on from there. I have this new thing going on where I'm really into smashing fandoms together.

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**I. And it'd play on loop, whether noble or desperate, what he sacrificed for you.**

He traveled with you when the world was no longer your own.

It didn't seem real at first, but there wasn't much time to dwell on it and try to understand. Before you knew it, people were dying left and right. You wanted to help because that's who you were. But then you were no longer that person. You couldn't be.

When you were outside, you were in hell. Buildings were destroyed and the sky was only smoke. The air hurt to breathe and the pavement was hot. You were surprised he kept up with you. You were surprised he didn't talk much.

Chaos was everywhere and lived in many people. There was a brief window of time when the radios and televisions produced messages from those in power, telling the public what to do. But radio waves ceased and television networks went off. They were the first to go.

There was no communication, which meant there really wasn't any knowledge of where to go or what to do. If you were lucky, they'd spare you. They'd walk right past you and kill another. However, it settled in quickly that your time would come soon. Soon enough, you would be the one they killed while sparing another.

You glanced over at him, wondering if that's why he was at your side. Perhaps he wanted to try and save himself. They would see you both and kill you, not him. Why would they spare the stronger, younger, and more physically fit one of the pair?

Even if that was the case, you aren't going to leave him. Somehow, you need him beside you, the only thing you can cling to. You don't know what happened to James and your hospital is gone. You're here with House and you'll take what you can get.

As you walk down the cracked and broken road, you try to look past the destruction and death. Out of sight, out of mind doesn't quite work so well when you're stepping in blood and hearing cries of the people you'd die trying to save. So you watch the smoke form shapes above your head and pray that there may be some peace.

"We should rest."

It was the first words he spoke in days. You nod, not feeling like talking yourself. He heads from the road and you follow him. The scorched grass crunches beneath your shoes.

House leads you to a partially demolished home. The back of it is completely caved in while the front has bowling ball size holes in it. He crouches to the ground and you notice how his face changes with his pain.

The porch of the house is still intact and he kicks a hole into the wooden fence that was suppose to keep creatures from making a home underneath it. He crawls under and you kneel down onto the scratchy burnt grass.

The earth is warm and you crawl under the porch, dirtying your clothes even more. You stop when your hand hits House. You lie on your back beside him and run your hand over the dirt until you find his hand.

He lets his hand remain limp and you push your fingers between his. You're tired and thirsty. Hunger was forgotten two days ago. Sleeping is a scary notion because you can't defend yourself in restless dreams. But not sleeping means exhaustion and you know you can't run in that state.

You close your eyes and hold onto House's hand tighter. He presses his fingers against the back of your hand.

The sound of an explosion jolts you awake and suddenly you're lying on your back once more and your forehead is bleeding.

"Shit," you curse, covering the wound with your hand.

You forgot where you were and your skin split right open when it came in contact with the underside of the porch. House stirs beside you, sitting up partially on his side.

"Let me see."

Your right eye is closed to keep the blood from going in it. House's hand is on yours, prying it away. This only causes more of the liquid to escape and you whimper. He places your hand back on the cut.

"Keep the pressure."

Fabric's being torn and you can't see him because he's on your right. He pulls your hand back and quickly wraps the fabric around your head before tying it tightly.

"Ow."

Your cut burns and you're not even sure his makeshift bandage will help. He wipes the blood from your face with his shirt. You touch the bandage to find it's already quite wet from your blood.

"The explosion wasn't too far away," he says. "We should get moving."

Turning onto your stomach, you raise yourself onto your hands and knees. You crawl to the hole House kicked in the previous night and crawl out into the morning.

It's grey everywhere you look. The sun hasn't been seen for days. The world is one shade during the day. At night, it goes black.

Once House is beside you, you notice his shirt is ripped along the bottom and stained with your blood. You're both pretty dirty and already stained with blood, most of which is not your own.

"Come on."

He heads for the road with his walking stick. You keep up at his side and remain silent. The blood is trickling down your face and you swipe it away with the back of your hand.

A loud bang sounds from behind you. There's nothing but smoke as far as you can tell, but that noise was familiar and you take off running.

House keeps up as best as he can, which still remains a mystery to you on how he manages. You guess it must be the adrenaline and survival mode. Somehow that's turned into a pretty strong cocktail for him.

There's a brick building up ahead with the windows blown out. You hurry to find a door, hoping there are places to hide inside. House catches up to you, breathing heavily and clutching his thigh.

You pull at a metal door and it scrapes the cement beneath it. Two more tugs gets it open and you slip inside with House behind you.

The inside is destroyed and partially burnt. There's another loud bang outside and you jump. The voices falling through the windows cause your heart to pound in your chest.

"Hey."

Coming back into reality, your eyes find House. He's standing in front of a closet with its door scorched. You run over to him and you both get inside. He slides the door shut just as the metal door of the building is blown off.

His hand covers your mouth, stopping your involuntary cry of fear. You try to regulate your breathing through your nose, wanting to remain as quiet as possible. Your tears fall onto House's hand and you're shaking beneath him.

You hear them out there, throwing and kicking debris. They know you're here and they're not going to leave until they find you.

"I'll go," he whispers in your ear and you shake your head. "Kill me, spare you."

He removes his hand from your mouth and gently steps beside you. You look up at him, about to protest, when his lips press down against yours. You want to keep kissing him to keep him there, but he pulls away and steps from the closet.

The gunshots make your freeze and your breath hitches in your throat. Your tears fall fast and quick. You cover your mouth yourself this time to muffle any sound.

When the door opens, there are three men with their guns pointed at you. You know this is it, they aren't going to spare you. This is your time and the only thing you can think is how much you wish you weren't crying.

One of the men reaches for you and yanks you out of the closet. You trip over House's legs and almost fall. The man's holding you up and pulls you toward the open doorway, the other men following you.

You glance back toward the closet, to House's body. Blood's pooling around him and you're sure you're going to be sick. As you step outside, your stomach lurches and you're dry heaving. The man beside you doesn't seem to notice or just doesn't care and he continues to pull you along.

The world's suddenly growing too bright and you feel you might pass out. You're coughing violently and then there's darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, guys! Thanks for the comments! Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

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**II. Shambles do not change a Prince. He is who he is wherever he is.**

A draft of cool air coasted over her bare arms. Goosebumps arose from the flesh and she shivered. Her eyes opened and there was darkness.

Her body ached as if over-stretched and she sat up slowly, not wanting another accident with her head. She reached a hand to the cut to feel soft thin flesh there, the injury seeming healed.

She lowered her hand and looked around her, trying to make out anything in the darkness. She didn't know where she was or how she got here.

Memories suddenly flooded back into her and House's dead body flashed into her mind. She breathed out heavily and placed her face in her hands. They killed him and captured her, but she didn't know who had fared better. For all she knew, it would have been in her favor if they killed her then and there with him.

"Hello?"

It was a young whispered voice. Cuddy looked toward the sound.

"Hello," she said back, her voice not reaching a volume much over a whisper. "Who's there?"

"My name is William."

"William," she repeated. "I'm Lisa, William. Are you okay?"

"I'm scared."

He began to cry and she crawled closer to the sound of his voice.

"William?"

"Huh?"

Cuddy reached out, feeling for any sort of barrier between them. She touched soft cloth that quickly left her grasp.

"It's me," she told him.

A small hand found hers and she held onto it. It was too dark to see him despite being so close to each other.

"How did you get here?" he asked.

"I don't know," she answered him honestly, rubbing her thumb over the back of his hand. "Three men took me. What about you? Do you remember how you got here, William?"

"They came for me." He sniffed. "They killed my parents."

"Come here."

Cuddy gave a gentle pull on the boy and he moved closer to her. She wrapped her arms around him and placed a hand on his head. She gently ran her fingertips through his hair.

"I don't know what I did," William went on.

"You may not have done anything," Cuddy replied gently.

"Then why are they doing this?" he asked.

"I don't know."

"I'm really scared. I don't want to die."

"I'm scared too," she admitted. "And I don't—"

Light filled the room, almost too bright for her eyes to register any adjusting. Cuddy blinked and her world began to come into focus. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all smooth dark metal. She was still wearing the same clothes she had been before.

William clutched onto her tighter and Cuddy looked down at the boy. He had dark hair and bright eyes. He was in jeans and a striped brown and green shirt, but did not appear the least bit dirty or hurt.

Two men marched into the room, their faces stern and guns slung over their backs. William whimpered and Cuddy rubbed her hand up and down his back, trying to ease him. One of the men grabbed her by the arm and pulled her hard.

She let out a cry of pain as he pried her away from the now crying boy. Once they were separated, he crawled away from the men and clutched his knees to his chest. Cuddy was pulled to her feet and brought out of the room.

They were in a long hallway and the men were on either side of her, a hand tightly wrapped around each arm. She winced in pain and kept up with their fast pace.

"Where are we going?" she asked, but didn't receive an answer.

Cuddy frowned as they reached a metal door at the end of the hallway. The door slid open and she was pushed inside of a small windowless room. She looked around as the door slid shut.

Three men walked through the wall directly in front of her, entering into the room. Cuddy backed up into the wall behind her. They each held onto a metal rod with a long glowing end. She was breathing heavily, afraid of what they were going to do to her.

They surrounded her, stepping closer and closer until they were each a foot away. One of them swung at her, slashing her across the arm, ripping her shirt and burning her. Cuddy let out a cry of pain and put her hand over the mark.

All at once, they began to hit her until she crumpled to the floor. She tried to protect her head as their weapons tore at her clothes and wounded her flesh. Her skin was blistering quickly and bleeding. She tried to breathe through the pain since she was defenseless.

Her tears were hitting the floor and she attempted to remain still since any slight movement hurt her injuries. Finally, they each stepped back, leaving her alone. They disappeared back through the wall.

"You are the one they call Cut-ty."

The voice was in her head, but also everywhere. She breathed in, trying to gain her composure. She was confused and in pain.

"Are you not?"

"Cuddy," she spoke aloud through heavy breathing.

"Cud-dy," it repeated.

"Yes." She swallowed hard. "Who..."

"You shall not run, Cud-dy. You shall be keeper."

"What?" She looked around, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from.

"Do not run," it told her. "Do not leave. You are keeper."

"I don't understand," she said.

"The boy. You are keeper. If you do not heed these words, you shall not live."

The door slid open and the two men who brought her in picked her up from the floor. She cried out in pain and looked at the welts, burns, and cuts on her skin. They took her back down the hallway and threw her into the room she awoke in.

Cuddy stayed motionless on the floor, afraid of the pain caused by moving. The room was pitch dark again. She heard movement.

"William?" Her voice was unstable and coated with tears.

"I didn't think you were coming back."

"I'm back," she whispered.

He moved closer to her. "Are you okay?"

"I, uh..." She breathed in. "I will be."

"They hurt you?" he asked.

"A bit," she answered.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

She felt his hand touch one of the welts on her shoulder and she gasped. He pulled his hand back and then lightly felt his way up her neck, over her cheek, and to her hair. William stroked her hair, trying to comfort her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for all the great comments everyone! I appreciate them very much. Here's the next chapter.**

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**III. All locks have a key, all futures have a past.**

"Mulder."

She let her head fall hard against the wall behind her. He was digging through a mass pile of rubble, sweating in the heat.

"They took him, Mulder," she said.

"It's not possible, Scully," he called back to her, still digging. "There was a reason you gave him up. To save him."

"It saved him for a little while I suppose," she replied dejectedly.

Mulder turned toward her, a chunk of wood in his hand. He stared at her in disbelief.

"What?" he asked. "You're just giving up?"

"And what the hell do you want me to do, Mulder?" she spat back and rose to her feet.

"Help me look." He tossed the piece of wood aside. "Maybe we'll find a clue to where he is."

"You want a clue?" Her eyebrows drew together. "Look up. See all that smoke? He's above that. He's with them."

"Scully..."

She stalked away from him. Mulder let out a sigh and followed after her. Scully stopped at a four foot crack in the asphalt.

"It wasn't even worth it," she spoke quietly, her back to him. "Sending him away like that. They found him anyway and they took him."

"He's special," Mulder told her. "They know that. If they have him, they won't hurt him."

She spun around. "He could end them and they know _that_."

"But they also know he has potential power," he added. "A power they can use if they learn how. A power that can help them. They won't hurt him."

Scully shook her head. "I'm tired, Mulder. I think our son's dead and I'm tired of this. Can we just stop?"

"What about the rock?" he responded, eyes locked with hers.

"What good'll it do if they just keep coming?" she said. "I feel like we're two people up against the end. Two people can't do it."

"We can if we have William."

Mulder turned and headed for the destroyed house. Scully groaned and went after him.

"And then what, Mulder?" she shouted to him. "Then what?"

"I'm not giving up," he informed her sternly. "That's what I'm saying. And either you're with me or you're not."

"You don't get it."

Scully stopped walking, her chest heaving in her anger. Mulder slowed his pace before turning and facing her.

"I gave him _up_." She blinked back her tears. "I promised myself I would never look for him and stir up the past. You're asking me to do _exactly_ that, Mulder. And for what? To put William, our _son_, back into danger so you can follow through with your plan to save the world?"

"And if you're right, Scully?" Mulder asked calmly, stepping closer to her. "If they do have him? Which is starting to seem very likely." He waited, but she didn't respond. "Are you still with me?"

"Yes," she whispered.

She passed him and walked around the rubble. Mulder went back to sifting through it. Scully stopped when she saw the blue skied fragment. She bent down and pulled on the thin piece of a previous life.

Scully stared down at a smiling child standing next to woman. They were on a pier at the beach. The boy was about seven or eight and he was missing a tooth.

Tears blurred her vision and she lightly ran her finger over the boy's cheek. This was her son. This was William.

She ripped off the part of the picture with the woman and let it fall to the ground. Scully slipped the remaining piece into her pocket.

A bang sounded in the distance. She wiped away her tears as she looked toward the sound. There wasn't anything in sight, but she knew that meant nothing.

"Scully."

Her eyes went to Mulder.

"We gotta run."

He took off and she ran after him. They had built themselves a hideout nearby with rubble from another destroyed house. Mulder did his best to make their place of hiding appear inconspicuous. They arrived out of breath and he let her go in first.

Scully crawled into the small space underneath the wood and pipe. She was aware that it could collapse on them any minute, but they had no other choice.

Mulder followed her in and pushed a large piece broken toilet in front of the hole. He stacked a few bricks beside the porcelain, closing them in.

As Scully forced her breathing to slow, she thought about what would happen if they found them there. She knew there would be no chance to run or fight. She thought of William's picture in her pocket and she swallowed hard.

"Mulder," she whispered.

He shifted slightly, the position he was in causing his leg to go numb. He looked over at Scully.

"I want to find William," she said. "Dead or alive, I want to find him."

"We will." Mulder assured her, nodding.

She fell quiet, not wanting to be caught because they were overheard. He shifted once more and shut his eyes, waiting out the storm.

The gun fire started and wouldn't stop. It made her heart pound in her chest. Mulder tried to imagine it was something else. He pictured an old western in his head, the gunshots product of the movie playing in his mind.

But Scully was aware and alert. She glanced around at each new sound, wondering if they were going to be getting closer, wondering if they were going to set the rubble, their hideout, on fire. It was a constant fear being alive.

Sometimes, she almost wished she was dead just so she wouldn't have to live this way anymore. This wasn't the way life was supposed to be lived.

Scully didn't know how long the gunfire and cries went on for because time didn't seem to care to exist like it used to anymore. However, she was aware when it stopped and she listened hard, trying to determine when it would be safe to emerge.

"Hey," Mulder spoke, his voice barely audible.

She looked to him.

"It's been a while," he went on.

Scully nodded. It had been a while since they last heard anything. She was worried it could be a trap and they were waiting for anyone left alive to emerge. But that always seemed to be a worry anymore and eventually, the decision had to be made to stay or leave.

"Let's go."

Mulder removed each brick one at a time, piling them next to the hole. He looked out, seeing nothing but the destruction. There was no movement, no one. He pushed the heavy porcelain out of the way and crawled from the rubble. He stood to his feet and stretched.

Scully followed him out and stood as well. She drew in a breath and coughed, the air hurting her lungs. She turned to Mulder and raised an eyebrow.

"What now?"

"Back to the rubble."

He headed to the mess that was once where William lived. Scully kept up with him, silent for a few moments.

"And... if we don't find anything that helps us?"

She stopped and watched him begin digging in the pile again. He didn't give her an answer.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, everyone! Just wanna say thanks for the great feedback. Enjoy the next chapter!**

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**IV. Relocation sans isolation. Still nothing feels like home.**

She could hear the boy breathing beside her. Cuddy shifted her position slightly, everything hurting from the beating. She thought about this young boy and who he was. There was something about him that was different and it was obviously important enough that she was chosen to be his keeper.

But she didn't understand why. He was only a little boy. A little boy that should have been in school, playing with his friends, hugging his parents at night.

Instead, he was here, with her, and possibly going to meet a fate that so many children had already met. As Cuddy knew, they were some of the first to go.

He stirred beside her and let out a cry. Cuddy reached into the darkness and found the boy's head. She gently stroked his hair.

"No... no!"

"William..."

Cuddy shook his shoulder slightly, waking him from his nightmare. William sat up, breathing heavily. He wiped the tears from his face.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I had a bad dream," he said.

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

William rested back down beside her. He reached toward her, needing comfort. Cuddy painfully put her arm around him and he was careful as he rested against her.

"They're going to do more bad things," he told her. "This is just the beginning."

"It was just a dream, William," she assured him. "As real as it seemed, you're okay now."

"I know I'm okay, but other people won't be," he replied. "It's going to happen, Lisa."

He began to cry and Cuddy held him tighter, despite the pain it brought to her from the pressure against her wounds.

"I know I did something wrong," he went on.

"William."

"I know I did!"

"William," she spoke gently. "You did nothing wrong, okay? You're a very sweet boy. I can't imagine anything you could have done to deserve this. It's not your fault."

He drew in a few shaky breaths and sniffed. "I'm scared."

"I'm scared, too."

Bright light suddenly filled the room. Cuddy quickly shut her eyes against it. William sat up, terrified. The door opened and a single soldier walked in.

"You have an order to put these on."

He set a stack of clothes on the floor and walked out. The door slid shut behind him.

Cuddy squinted against the light, waiting for her eyes to adjust. William walked over to the clothes and picked them up. He brought them back over to Cuddy.

"They're clothes," he told her.

She sat up painfully, finally able to see better. William held out a pair of pants and a short sleeved shirt that resembled a pair of scrubs. They were a dark red color.

Cuddy took the clothes from him and he helped her to her feet. She examined the two items further as William did the same with his smaller sized pair.

"I guess we should do as he said," she instructed.

William, a little self conscious, turned his back to Cuddy and quickly began to change. She turned slightly herself, wanting to give him some privacy.

However, the pain made it difficult for her to change quickly. She struggled with getting the shirt on and bending to get the pants on made her involuntarily whimper.

"Do you need help?" William asked.

Cuddy looked over at him, but he still had his back to her. She tightened her pants with the drawstring and tied them in the front.

"No," she answered. "I'm finished."

William turned and walked toward her. He looked at the cuts and burns on her arms, finally being able to see them with the light on. He raised his eyes to her face, still examining her, and smiled suddenly as he held back a laugh.

"What?" Cuddy said, a little self consciously.

He pointed a small finger up at her. "The scar on your forehead makes you look like Harry Potter."

"Does it?" She raised an eyebrow.

William's smile widened. "Yeah."

"You like Harry Potter?" Cuddy replied.

"The books." He nodded. "They were better than the movies."

The door slid open, startling both Cuddy and William. She protectively pulled the boy closer to her. The same soldier entered as before.

"Follow."

He turned and walked out of the room. William looked up at Cuddy and she smiled weakly, trying to give him reassurance. She took his hand and led him into the hallway.

The alien soldier led them down the hallway and to the door at the end. It opened and they stepped into a circular room. The door closed behind them and suddenly the room began to shake.

William held on tighter to Cuddy's hand. She placed her free hand on his shoulder. The super-soldier paid no attention to either of them.

After several minutes had passed, the movement stopped and the door opened once more. Air blew into the room and the soldier led them outside.

Cuddy's mouth fell open at the sight in front of her. They were on a flat land that held rows of cement barracks. The entire space was closed in by a high fence with an electrical current on top. She immediately thought of the Holocaust and realized that _this_ was the real Hell.

There were other people being taken to barracks by alien soldiers. However, she noticed they were in pink colored clothes, much lighter than the ones both she and William were dressed in.

"Follow."

The super-soldier led them down a row of barracks, passing dead bodies left rotting on the ground.

Cuddy frowned, wanting to shield William from all the death. She wondered if he saw his parents die. She looked down at him, but his eyes were on the ground and not on anything around them.

The soldier stopped in front of a barrack with a red flag hanging on the door.

"Your quarters. Wait inside for further instruction."

He stood there until Cuddy and William stepped inside. The door slammed shut behind them.

There were two cots on opposite sides of the room. A small window was toward the back and a toilet and sink was in the corner. It was a large space for just the two of them.

"Now what?" William asked, his voice cracking slightly.

"Let's move the beds closer together," Cuddy suggested. "They're so far apart."

"Good idea," he agreed.

William ran to one of the cots and began to push it toward the other. Cuddy went to the other and pushed it until it hit William's cot. He gave a small laugh and then sat down.

"Do you have any kids?" he said.

"No." She shook her head slightly and sat down on the other cot. "I once took care of a baby for a little while. I was her foster mom. But that's not an adoption or anything, so... her relatives wanted her back."

"Oh." He flopped onto his back. "I'm adopted, you know."

"You are?" She lifted her eyebrows.

"Like Harry Potter," William went on. "Except I didn't live with family or anything. I mean, my parents—my adoptive parents—they weren't mean. They were... they were the best."

Tears flooded his eyes and he covered them with his arm. Cuddy frowned.

"Come here."

William sat up. He crawled across the cot and into Cuddy's arms.

"It's okay, William," she told him. "It's okay."


	5. Chapter 5

**V. In the distance, silence disturbed, construction of something new.**

They were _everywhere_. She had no where to go and couldn't fight them. Mulder wasn't around. It was her versus them and all she wanted was her son back. She gave him up before because she thought she had to and now, she wanted him _back_.

Her screams were met with no reaction and their hands were on her, holding her down, _burning_ her. Tears were flowing freely down her cheeks and they were cutting her abdomen open, implanting her with a baby of their own.

And she wanted it to stop. She wanted it all to _stop_.

Scully hit him in the face. She woke up screaming and Mulder had his hand pressed against the split in his bottom lip. Immediately she shut her mouth and eyed him up.

"I hit you, didn't I?"

He nodded.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "They were just... they were on me."

"It's all right, Scully," he told her.

"No." She shook her head. "It's not."

She pressed the palms of her hands against her closed eyes. Mulder pulled her into him, hugging her. She rested there a moment before drawing back. She lowered her hands, showing him she wasn't about to cry.

"We should get going anyway," Scully said and stood to her feet.

Mulder stood as well. "Yeah."

They continued on in the direction they had been going before they decided to rest near a half scorched forest. It was getting dark again, but she was awake now despite the exhaustion that always seemed to plague her lately.

"You okay?" he asked.

"No, I'm not," she answered.

"I, uh..."

He trailed off. He didn't know what to say to her. There was nothing that could make her feel better. Not in a world so drastically changed.

Mulder reached for her swinging hand and missed the first time. She didn't seem to notice. On the second attempt, her grabbed onto her hand, feeling the scabs on her knuckles.

She stopped completely and looked over at him. His eyes met hers.

"Mulder..."

He stepped closer to her and touched his dry lips to her cracked ones. It hurt slightly on her part, but she didn't move away. When he did, she pulled her hand out of his.

"We... need to keep going," she told him.

Scully took a step and faltered. Mulder caught her right before she dropped to the ground.

"You need water," he said.

"Got any up your sleeve?" she responded with a cock of an eyebrow.

"There's got to be water somewhere," he went on. "We've been traveling so long... it couldn't have all disappeared. Why don't you stay here and I'll go—"

"No," she cut him off quickly. "No way. Wherever you go, I go. If you never came back or if I was gone when you returned... we do not separate."

"You need water," he insisted. "You can't walk much longer—"

"I can walk fine," she assured him harshly.

Mulder finally released her from his tight grasp. She took a few steps away from him before they continued down the dry pavement together. After several minutes, Scully stopped.

"Mulder."

He faced her.

"Do you hear that?" she asked.

"What?"

Scully looked to her left, eyeing up the empty space. There were several destroyed structures, burnt trees, and scorched grass. Beyond that was the remains of what once must have been a lush, green hill.

"There's noise," she explained. "People. Out there."

"It's probably not a good idea if we walk toward it, Scully," Mulder replied.

"We should check it out," she said. "Maybe it's a survivor camp. Maybe they have water."

"You know they destroyed all camps," he told her. "They have an ear and eye for those things."

"It's worth a look."

She went toward the sound in the distance. Mulder followed after her until he caught up to her side. He glanced at her, but she kept her focus forward.

As they came closer to the top of the hill, they began to crouch and then crawl, just in case what was beyond the scorched earth was not something they wanted to encounter.

Staying low and hidden by a few rocks, they could make out the closed in fence with cement barracks at the bottom of the hill. There were people in pink uniforms being escorted by the alien soldiers.

"It's definitely a camp," she whispered. "Just not one run by survivors."

"What do you think they're doing with them?" he responded, watching as a soldier shoved a man to the ground.

"I don't know." Scully looked over at Mulder. "If... if William's alive—"

"No, Scully." He stopped her. "You don't know he's in there."

"But he could be," she replied. "Or someone could know where he is. Most children are dead. Seeing a child alive sticks in the mind."

"And how would we get in there?" Mulder raised his eyebrows at her.

"I... I don't know yet," she answered. "But we can think of something. There has to be a way."

"They wouldn't keep us as prisoners, Scully," Mulder reminded her. "They'd kill us."

"I know, but we've eluded from them before," she said. "They've almost had us and they would have if they had known we were who we are. It takes them time to process when they have a clear view of our faces. If we keep our heads down—"

"That's if we get in," he cut her off. "Which doesn't look possible."

Scully stared at him. "So now we give up?"

"Or focus on the rock," he suggested.

"Yeah, that's their Fort Knox," she told him. "But this... this isn't. And William could be here."

"And he might not be," Mulder added.

She held back a sigh and looked out at the camp. "Then what do we do?"

"We find a place to hide, we find some water, and we watch. We try to find a moment to get in and if there isn't one, we make a new plan."

"All right," she gave in reluctantly and began to back down the hill, keeping low.

"They're crawling all over, Scully." He followed after her. "If there's a time to be more careful, it's now."

She nodded. "I know, Mulder."

"Let's find a hideout," he said and picked up his pace.


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks for all the comments! Here's the next chapter!

* * *

**VI. You are not what you say you are in the world, you are what you do.**

Cuddy was awake. She knew it was morning, but she couldn't guess how early it was or how long she had slept. William was on the cot beside her, breathing in and out evenly.

She was startled by the door opening and she sat up. A super-soldier entered and pointed at her.

"You," he said. "Follow."

Cuddy looked over at William, who still remained asleep. She climbed off her cot and wondered if she would be back before he woke up.

The soldier led her outside where there were many prisoners already out and working. They stared at her as she passed them.

A gun went off, making her jump and yanking her attention to the sound. A woman crumpled to the ground, blood staining the pink fabric of her shirt.

Sucking in a short breath, Cuddy diverted her eyes and picked up her pace to keep up with the super-soldier. He stopped in a front of a small concrete structure. The door opened and he led her inside. There was a table with four chairs around it.

"Sit," the soldier told her before leaving the room.

Cuddy walked cautiously toward the table and sat down. She looked around anxiously as she let out a breath.

"Cud-dy."

It was _that_ voice. The one everywhere and in her head, invading her.

"Your task is simple. Watch the boy. He is special."

"Special," Cuddy repeated.

"He has a gift, a power," the voice continued. "He will show this side to you. When he does, you must tell us immediately. We will take the boy and assure your safety and the possibility of freedom."

"Why don't you just take him now?" Cuddy asked, confused. "What do you need me for?"

"Your word will affirm our beliefs," it explained. "He will give us what we want when he knows for certain that we know the truth about him."

Cuddy shook her head. "I still don't understand. How am I to know his power?"

"You'll know."

"And you won't kill me if I go along with this." She wanted to understand exactly what they were asking of her.

"Correct."

She paused a moment. "How can I trust you?"

"You don't have a choice."

The door opened and the super-soldier stepped in. He took her roughly by the arm and pulled her out of the room.

Cuddy's thoughts were racing, but she tried to remain calm as she was escorted back to her barrack. She didn't understand what the voice meant by William having some sort of "power," but she knew her involvement would only endanger the boy further.

The super-soldier opened the door and shoved Cuddy inside before slamming the door shut. Her eyes went to the cot where William was sitting, knees clutched to his chest.

"Where did you go?" he asked.

"They wanted to speak to me," she answered as she approached him. She sat down on the cot beside him. "We've got to get you out of here, William."

"What did they say to you?" he replied, his voice rising.

"That you have some sort of power or something," she told him honestly. "I'm not sure what it meant."

"They did this to me." William climbed off the cot. "They did something to me and I'm different because of it. I... things just happen sometimes. Not in front of them, but when I'm alone."

"Well, they're expecting you to show this power to me and then use that against you," Cuddy explained. "I'm scared to know what they'll do to you after I'm supposed to tell them."

He turned toward her, a look of hurt on his face. "You're going to tell on me?"

"No." She shook her head. "Of course not. We're getting you out of here."

"How?" He raised his eyebrows.

"We'll..." Cuddy stood and began pacing. "We'll find a way for you to escape and then we'll make it look like you did. They're search for you out there while you'll hide in _here_. We'll find a good hiding spot inside here for a couple of days and _then_ get you out."

"What about you?" William stepped in her way. "Aren't you coming with me?"

"Of course I'll try to, but for the first couple of days, you'll be hiding alone," she said. "They'll want me to explain what happened. I can keep a lookout while you hide."

"But we'll escape together, right?" he responded. "After I hide, you'll come with me."

She locked eyes with him. "William, I will try, but I don't know what they'll do to me when you're hiding."

"Then I won't hide." He took a step away from her. "Not if they're going to kill you."

"They might kill you if you stay," she pointed out. "I think they're scared of you. And if you've got some sort of power, maybe it'll protect you."

"You believe I have powers?" he asked.

"Well, after all of this, I'll believe pretty much anything," she answered.

William sat down on a cot and let out a sigh. "How are we going to do this?"

"We'll observe and figure out the best escape route," she told him.

He looked up at her. "What if there aren't any?"

"Then..." She drew in a breath. "We'll make a new plan. There is something special about you, William. As long as I'm living, I will do my best to protect you."

Cuddy sat down next to him on the cot and pulled him into a hug. He held on tightly to her.

* * *

By day three, Cuddy felt pretty confident that she might have a working plan. William had returned to the barrack before her on their day working outside and he was sitting on a cot, waiting for her when she returned.

"I think I have an idea on where to hide you," Cuddy confided once the door was closed behind her.

"Where?" His tone was excited, yet a little anxious.

"There is wooden outhouse near the fence," Cuddy told him and sat down on the other cot. "The other barracks must not have toilets in them."

He made a face, appalled. "You want me to hide in poop?"

"No." She shook her head, a smile crossing over her face. "The outhouse is a big structure, but the individual stalls are small. The walls sound hollow, meaning there's space in between them. I'm sure it's enough space for you to fit."

"Why would they be built like that?" he asked.

She gave a shrug. "I don't know, but we have to figure out a way to get you in."

"What if there's not enough space?" he replied.

"We'll figure something else out," Cuddy assured him. "Or just escape under the weak part of the fence we were going to use as the decoy and hope for the best."

William relaxed back on the cot and looked up at the ceiling. "Where will we go? If we escape?"

"We'll find somewhere to hide," she said. "We'll keep on the move."

He directed his gaze to her. "Until they find us again."

Cuddy placed a comforting hand on his arm. "We've got to try something."

"Yeah." He nodded. "They're the Voldemorts."

"Yes," she agreed. "They are."


	7. Chapter 7

**VII. Closed in, you can find it; so near, you can feel it.**

"Mulder..." She was shaking. "I'm terrified."

"This is our best chance of getting in without being killed," he told her.

It was pitch black outside. Scully kept close to Mulder as they quickly approached the large pit in the ground. Any men or women who couldn't continue to work, or who simply had a bad day, went to the pit.

The super-soldiers brought other prisoners out to execute the ones who had performed badly. It was psychological warfare for a war that already seemed to be won.

Mulder slid into the pit first, wincing when he collided with a body. Scully followed in after him and held back a cry as she tripped over someone's head.

"Feel for hair to find out which sex they are," Mulder instructed as he reached toward the bodies.

"What if their clothes have blood on them?" Scully asked.

"Even the live ones have blood on their clothes," he said.

Scully felt long strands of hair. She began to undress the body, knowing the clothes would fit. After all, her weight had decreased since food became scarce.

"When you're dressed, let me know," Mulder spoke up. "We'll bury these bodies and our clothes under the others to hide them. Then we'll work on making a hiding spot for ourselves."

She stopped her movements, feeling overwhelmed about all of this. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Try not to think about it, Scully," he responded.

It was too late. She was dry heaving. The smell alone was enough to make someone sick, but touching the bodies, being with dead, soon to be covered by them for protection... well, she couldn't handle it.

"Think of William," Mulder added. "We're doing this for him."

She drew in a deep breath. "He might not even be in there."

"Don't give up on this now, Scully," he replied. "It was your idea."

"Not to bury myself under dead bodies," she told him.

"And how else are we supposed to get in?" he asked.

Scully fell silent and finished changing. She gathered her clothes in her hand.

"Help me bury this body under the others," she mumbled.

* * *

Her heart was pounding so hard, she could hear it in her ears. She could see out between the leg connected to the body over her chest and the arm of another body covering her forehead. Her hand was holding Mulder's underneath another body. He would squeeze her hand when he felt they should go and she would squeeze back if she felt it was safe as well.

There was shouting above her and someone was crying loudly. Then the gunshots sounded and the bodies began to fall. She tried not to cry out as she heard the thuds of bodies falling on top of others.

Eventually, the gunfire ceased and there were no more sounds. She waited for Mulder to decide when they should go. It was a tricky business. If they left too soon and were seen, they risked being shot, and if they left too late, they wouldn't catch up to the group in time to get inside.

He squeezed her hand and she glanced around at the world above them before squeezing his hand back. As quickly as possible, they pushed the dead bodies from themselves.

Mulder stood to his feet and helped her to stand as well. He held her hand as they stepped on bodies to reach the edge of the pit. He began to climb up the pit and stopped near the top, peeking out.

The prisoners were marching back to the gate with two super-soldiers leading the way. As they had seen previously, there was no super-soldier keeping up the back. Mulder climbed out of the pit and helped Scully out after.

They ran as quietly and quickly as they could toward the group. When they reached the back of the line, the man in front of them turned and stared at them. Mulder held a finger to his lips, silently telling the man not to say anything.

When the group reached the gate, Mulder and Scully entered without any problems. He breathed a sigh of relief as she looked around for William. She didn't see any children.

They were led to another group of people, who were beating at a large metal plate with egg shaped hammers. A hammer was shoved into Mulder's hand first, then Scully's. They kept their heads down to ensure they wouldn't be recognized.

Mulder watched as the other prisoners began to hit the metal with the hammers. They worked in silence. He gave a tug on Scully's sleeve and she looked over at him. He nodded toward the metal plate. She crouched down beside another woman and began to pound on the metal.

Scully had no idea what they were doing or what it was for, but she knew she needed to find a way to look for William. She leaned closer to the woman beside her.

"Have you seen the boy that is here?" Scully whispered to her.

The woman glanced over at Scully, but then looked down and continued working. Scully kept working alongside her, wondering if she would be able to move to find someone else to ask.

"Who hasn't," the woman muttered.

Scully was surprised when the woman responded. "Where does he live?"

"The barrack with the red flag on the door," the woman answered.

"Shut up down there!"

Scully turned and looked up at the super-soldier standing over her. "I have to use the bathroom."

He grabbed her by the arm and shoved her in the direction of the outhouses. She began for the building, scanning the barracks for the one with the red flag. She stopped in her tracks when she saw it. It sat at the end of a row, the flag placed near the top of the door.

Scully glanced back to see the soldier watching her. She turned around quickly and picked up her pace. She opened a door to the outhouse and stepped inside.

The smell was nauseating and she held her breath. She debated on how much time she should give before going out. She hoped the super-soldier wouldn't be watching and she could sneak off to the barrack with the flag on the door.

After counting five times to sixty, Scully opened the door and stepped out. The super-soldier was occupied as he yelled at a man, so she took that as her opportunity to dart down the row. A hand grabbed her arm and a hand covered her mouth.

She pulled back and looked to her side to see Mulder. He released her and she let out a sigh.

"Jesus, Mulder."

"Sorry," he apologized. "The barrack with the flag—"

"Is right there," she finished for him. "I know. We've got to hurry."

They reached the barrack and Mulder tried to open the door.

"It's locked."

Scully picked up a rock from the ground and smashed it down on the handle, breaking it.

"Not anymore."

She opened the door and they both entered the barrack, but there was no sign of William. A woman with dark hair was in the fetal position on the floor. Her clothes were darker, a red color.

Mulder approached the woman and crouched down beside her. Scully leaned her back against the door and let out a sigh. She wondered if maybe William was outside somewhere with the others.

"Hey," Mulder said to the woman and touched her lightly on the shoulder.

The woman groaned in pain and looked up at Mulder. She frowned as he helped her to sit up. He eyed up the bruises, cuts, and burn marks all over her body.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"What are you doing in here?" she replied. "How did you get in?"

Scully approached them. "I broke the door handle. I'm looking for a boy."

Cuddy diverted her eyes to the floor. "He's not here."

"Where did he go?" Scully said.

"He ran away," she answered.

Scully stared at her in disbelief. "How?"

"He escaped."

"But it was William, right? He—" Scully pulled the ripped picture from the inside of her underwear and held it out to the woman. "He looks like this."

Cuddy took the picture from her. "How do you know William?"

"We're his parents," Scully told her.

"His birth parents?" Cuddy raised her eyebrows.

"Yes," Mulder added. "You said he escaped. How did he get out?"

"He didn't escape." Cuddy handed the picture back to Scully.

"What?" she responded.

"He's still here." Cuddy looked from Mulder to Scully. "And I know where he is."


	8. Chapter 8

**VIII. Fight or flight, live or die. It became a conscious choice somewhere along the way.**

"Okay, Lisa," Mulder began as he sat beside her on the cot. "We need you to start from the beginning."

"There isn't enough time," she said. "If they come in here and see you—"

"Then make it quick," he cut her off.

"They captured me," Cuddy told them. "They killed... a friend of mine right in front of me and then took me. I blacked out or something and when I awoke, I was in a room with William. They told me to look after him."

"Was he hurt?" Scully asked, standing a few feet away, arms folded over her chest.

"No," Cuddy answered with a shake of her head. "After maybe a day, they brought us here. They have this voice, this person or something. He... it... talks to you. In your head. It told me that William had power and once he showed it to me, I was to report it to one of them so they could use that information against him. In return, I would be granted safety."

"How could he have power?" Scully thought aloud. "When he was a baby, that power was supposedly stripped from him."

"William said they did something to him," Cuddy responded. "Something that made him different. We decided to hide him for a few days and make it look like he escaped. Then we would get him out for real."

Scully stepped closer to the cots. "Where is he?"

"I..." Cuddy drew back slightly. "Don't feel comfortable saying. But we were planning the escape for tonight. If you can meet us..."

"Where?" Mulder gently placed a hand on her arm.

"At the outhouses." Cuddy looked from his hand to his face. "Late tonight. There's a cosmic sound, a ringing—"

"Hissing, metallic sound." Mulder nodded. "We heard it while hiding."

"About an hour after that sound goes off, meet at the outhouses," Cuddy told him. "If you don't show, we have to go without you. There's no time to stall."

"We'll be there," Scully assured her.

"Okay," Cuddy agreed.

Mulder stood from the cot. "See you tonight."

Cuddy watched as they left the barrack, leaving her alone. She breathed out and hoped they would all safely make it tonight.

* * *

The door slammed closed, startling her awake. A hand was around her wrist, pulling her from the cot and to feet.

"What happened to the door?"

A super-soldier was staring down at her, twisting her arm, hurting her. Cuddy stared up at him.

"What?"

"You broke the handle," he said.

"What are you talking about," she went on, trying to keep her facial expression blank.

"That's what I'm talking about."

He whipped her around as he pointed to the partially open door, where she could clearly make out the broken handle.

"I don't know how that happened," she lied. "I was asleep. I didn't hear anything."

The super-soldier slapped her, knocking her to the floor. Cuddy placed a hand to the burning at her cheek. She breathed in, watching his boots as he approached.

"We have yet to find the boy," he spoke. "You know where he is."

Cuddy lifted her head, her eyes meeting his. "I told you I don't. I was just as shocked that he was gone. If I knew—"

"You wouldn't tell us," the soldier concluded for her sharply.

"If knowing where he is keeps me alive, I would tell you in an instant," she spat back.

The soldier held her eye contact for a brief moment before turning and leaving her. The door slammed closed behind him.

* * *

"They know we don't belong in here," Scully whispered to him, eyes scanning over the faces of the prisoners.

They were stared at by the others and so they found themselves in the corner of the cramped barrack, trying not to draw any more attention.

"It's not like they're going to rat us out," Mulder replied.

"You don't know that," she said.

He fell silent for a few moments before speaking again. "We should probably separate. If the super-soldiers keep seeing us together and we want to go to the outhouses around the same time, they won't let us go."

"That's if they notice," she responded.

"I'm sure they do," Mulder told her.

"Okay. I'll head over there." She nodded to a spot across the room.

"You know the plan?" Mulder asked her as she rose to her feet.

"Yes," she answered.

"See you in a while, Scully."

He watched as she weaved around the others and settled against the wall between two other women.

* * *

Cuddy walked quickly toward the outhouses. She found the escape from the barrack fairly easy since they hadn't yet replaced the door handle. She figured they thought beating her was enough to keep her there.

It wasn't.

She picked up her pace. Her stomach was turning on her, tying itself in a little ball of emptiness and pain. She was scared. If they caught her, they'd kill her.

Cuddy saw the woman, whose blonde hair had begun to show her natural red at the roots. She entered into the first door on the outhouse. Cuddy went into the one beside it and knocked on the wall, signaling to Scully that she was there.

Scully knocked back from her stall. She drew in a breath, trying to ignore the smell. Mulder needed to get there fast. She was worried they'd refuse him from using the outhouse if she was already out.

Counting the seconds, Cuddy shifted her weight. They needed to go. William was waiting and he would be wondering where she was. Then there was the knock from her right. She knocked back and then knocked on the other wall, telling Scully that Mulder had arrived.

Once Scully, relieved, returned the knock, Cuddy opened her stall door and stepped out. She glanced around for guards before darting to the back of the outhouse. There wasn't much room between the fence and the building, but she could slip in between without feeling the electrical current of the fence.

She waited as Scully joined her, then Mulder. They remained silent as Cuddy led them down the row, pressed against the wood of the outhouse. She stopped halfway down and gave a quick rap on the wood.

Scully and Mulder focused on the thuds behind the wood as Cuddy kept her eyes peeled for any of the super-soldiers. A section of wood popped off and a boy climbed out from the hollow space between two of the stalls.

When he stood erect, he froze at the sight of Scully and Mulder.

"It's all right," Cuddy whispered. "They're with me."

"William," Scully breathed out.

"We can't talk now," Cuddy told her. "We need to get out."

"How?" Mulder asked. "You never explained."

"We're jumping the fence," William said.

"That fence?" Mulder stared up at the structure, his gaze lingering on the blue white current on top.

"We were going to go under a weak spot in the fence, but when they thought William escaped from there, they made sure no one else could," Cuddy explained. "That caused the current down here to weaken. Climb up the fence until you can get on the roof of the outhouse. Make sure you aren't seen. Take a running start and jump."

"We'll break something on the landing," Scully replied. "That's if we make it over."

"They burn clothes on the opposite side," Cuddy went on. "There's fabric and ash over there. Should soften the blow. Hopefully."

"I'll go first," William announce and reached for the fence.

"No," Mulder interrupted. "Let me. To make sure it's safe."

The boy stepped back and Mulder began to climb.


	9. Chapter 9

**IX. Truth is never painless.**

Mulder landed with a thud. He felt the air leave his lungs and it took a moment for air to return. He could hear Scully's frantic whispering on the other side of the fence.

"I'm fine," he whispered back to her.

Scully became silent and watched as her son began up the fence. Cuddy had her eyes on Scully, observing how she wouldn't take her gaze from William.

"Go next," Cuddy told her.

"Okay," Scully agreed, but she didn't look away from her son.

They watched the boy jump over the fence and heard the thump of him landing. Scully stopped breathing as she waited to hear if he was all right. There wasn't any noise, any response.

"Mulder?" she asked.

"It's fine," Mulder spoke up, but his voice dropped a volume level. "You okay?"

"Yeah," William breathed out as he stood and brushed the dirt from himself.

Scully climbed the fence, trying to keep her mind off of the electric shocks. She reached the roof of the outhouse and climbed on top. The jumping scared her, but she took a sweeping look around to make sure there weren't any super-soldiers that could spot her.

Once she was sure it was safe, she stood, backed up, and took a running start for the fence. She jumped, coasting over the fence and landing hard. There was a shock to her shoulder and her knee felt like it caught fire.

Mulder was at her side in an instant and he helped her to stand. She bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out.

"She okay?" Cuddy said.

"Yep," Mulder answered. "Come on over."

As Cuddy started up the fence, the other three waited. William watched Mulder care for Scully and realized they knew each other very well. He wondered how they managed to stay alive and stay together since none of the other prisoners had seemed to know each other.

He came to attention when Cuddy landed hard on the ground. She hissed a curse and quickly climbed to her feet.

"We need to get to safety now," she told them, keeping her voice low.

"We'll take you to our hideout," Mulder said.

"You have a hideout near here?" William asked.

"It's where we were before we snuck in," Mulder replied and began in the direction to safety.

"You snuck in?" William lifted his eyebrows. "Why?"

Mulder and Scully exchanged glances, knowing they shouldn't get into it now. Cuddy picked up her pace.

"We should keep quiet," she spoke. "At least until we're a safe distance away."

William hurried up to Cuddy's side and slipped his hand in hers. She looked down at him.

"Thank you for coming back for me," he whispered.

She nodded and gave his hand a small squeeze. Cuddy kept her focus ahead and tried to ignore the stare she was receiving from Scully.

* * *

Mulder tugged hard at the wooden door. It creaked loudly as it opened. Cuddy and William stared down at the concrete steps leading into darkness.

"It was a storm cellar," Mulder explained. "Nice place to hide."

When neither William nor Cuddy made an attempt to enter, Scully began down the stairs. She ducked upon reaching the ground since the ceiling wasn't high enough for her to stand fully erect. Drawing in a breath, Cuddy followed her in.

"Watch your head," Scully warned her.

Cuddy bent down and reached a hand up to feel for the ceiling. Her hand hit coldness and cobwebs. William headed in next and realized he was short enough that he didn't have to worry about hitting his head.

A dim light went on, startling both Cuddy and William. They looked to the source to see Scully sitting on the floor next to a battery powered lantern.

"We found it in the wreck," she told them.

The door slammed shut and Mulder walked down the steps. He sat at the base of them and looked toward Cuddy.

"Take a seat," he said. "We should all get some rest."

"Yeah," Cuddy agreed and sat down.

William remained standing for a moment, looking around at the small room with empty wooden shelves. His eyes fell on Mulder and he realized he was being watched. He quickly sat beside Cuddy.

"How did you meet Lisa?" he asked Mulder.

"We just met her today," he answered.

"And you wanted to get out?" William peered at him suspiciously.

"We came here for you, William," Scully spoke up.

He looked over at her. "Why?"

"Because you're special," Mulder responded.

"You're like _them_," William accused, panic flooding him. "That's what _they_ say."

"We're not like them," Mulder assured him. "We're far from that."

"How do you know who I am?" William asked, eyebrows drawn. "How do you know I'm special?"

"It's okay, William," Cuddy soothed him. "Calm down."

"What's going on?" he demanded to know, his gaze fixing on Cuddy.

"I... I wanted to protect you," Scully told him. "I wanted to keep you safe and the only way I knew how was to... was to give you up."

"What?" William stared at her.

"They're your parents, William," Cuddy said. "Your birth parents."

He brought his eyes back to Cuddy, shaking his head slightly. "No."

"Yes." Scully swallowed hard. "We are."

"How did you know where I was?" he asked, confused.

"We've been looking for you," Mulder answered him. "We knew they would look for you too."

"You knew this was gonna happen?" William replied.

Mulder gave a slight nod. "We had an idea."

"Why did you give me up?" William turned to Scully.

"To protect you," she insisted.

"Well, it didn't work," he retorted.

"I know," Scully agreed quietly. "I'm sorry."

He paused a moment and then shook his head. "I need to sleep."

William turned away from them and curled up on his side. Cuddy gave an apologetic shrug to Scully. She merely nodded in return and turned the lantern off.

* * *

William awoke, aware of the complete darkness around him. He sat up, feeling alone, his heart racing. He reached across the floor, skimming the hard packed earth, searching for her. His hand lightly touched the fabric of her pants.

He breathed out, relieved. His heart rate slowed and he was glad to be assured she was still there.

"You okay?"

Scully had been awake. She heard the movement and the sigh of relief. She knew it was William.

"Why are you awake?" he asked, not answering her question.

"Can't fall asleep," she said.

William bit his bottom lip, eyes scanning the darkness for Scully. "Are you really my mom?"

She blinked back her tears. "Yes."

"Did you name me William?" he replied.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Scully cleared her throat. "My father and Mulder's—your dad's—father were both named William. It seemed right."

"Will you tell me about them?" William responded. "And about you? And what you did and where you're from and how you got here and everything?"

"I'll... Sure." Scully nodded even though he couldn't see her. "I can do that. I'll start from... from the beginning." She drew in a breath. "My father was a captain in the Navy. I called him Ahab. Have you read _Moby Dick_?"

"A kid version from the library," William told her.

Scully smiled slightly to herself. "Yeah, well, he called me Starbuck..."


	10. Chapter 10

**X. There is no survival guide. There never was.**

Mulder was careful as he closed the storm cellar door behind himself. He looked around once he was outside, checking for any signs he missed that he wasn't alone.

Once he was sure he was safe, he headed toward the broken asphalt that used to be a road. He stepped over the cracks, thinking of the childhood phrase that assured him he would break his mother's back for not following the rule.

When he got bored of that, he focused on the task at hand—find less noticeable clothes and perhaps food. He picked up his pace, keeping lookout for any movement.

There were half collapsed houses, ones completely demolished, and then one semi-intact. It was missing part of the roof towards the back and all the doors and windows were gone, but it seemed structurally safe.

Mulder walked up the porch steps and immediately smelled death. He paused, his stomach lurching, but he didn't start dry heaving. After taking a deep breath in through his mouth, he stepped inside.

Broken glass and wood covered the floor. He was aware that the smell was stronger now and he headed up the stairs on his left. He didn't want to find the half decayed bodies, so he was careful on his search and wanted to get out as soon as possible.

He was standing in front of a long hallway. There were three rooms on the left and two on the right. The first room on the left belonged to a little girl based on the colors and toys. He moved on to the next room, which seemed to be a boy's room.

Mulder entered and opened a dresser drawer. He pulled out a pair of jeans and looked them over. They were too small to fit William.

"Damn."

He left the room and went to the last one on the left. It was for another boy and had sports posters on the walls. Mulder went to the dresser and found clothes that might be too big for William, but they would have to do. He went to the closet in search of a book bag, but was pleased to discover a duffel bag.

Quickly, Mulder emptied out the duffel bag, but let a baseball and mitt remain in the bottom. He stuffed the clothes inside and added a pair of sneakers. He left the room and went to the master bedroom.

He searched through the closet and found a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that would fit him. He changed and threw some clothes for both Scully and Cuddy in the duffel bag. He put in a few sweatshirts and headed back downstairs.

Mulder stopped at the bottom of the stairs. He wanted to get out and get back before anyone awoke and noticed him gone, but the need for food was greater so he headed down the first floor hallway. He passed a room on the right and tried not to look, the smell that almost made him retch coming from inside.

The kitchen was at the end of the hallway and to the left. He stepped in and paused, listening for any signs of animals. When there was nothing but his breathing, he rapidly began to dig through the cupboards, putting as many canned goods as he could find into his duffel bag.

He stopped when he reached the refrigerator. Holding his breath, he opened the door and tried not to breathe in the scent of rotting food. He grabbed the lukewarm bottles of water on the shelf, glad to have found them.

Mulder zipped up the heavy duffel bag and stepped back. He spotted two flashlights on top of the refrigerator. He grabbed them, made sure they worked, and quickly added them to the bag. He began for the door, but stopped.

He hurried back to drawers underneath the kitchen counter. He rifled through them, pulling out matches, a can opener, and batteries. He placed them in the duffel bag, re-zipped it, and got the hell out of that house.

It was easier to breathe once he was outside, which didn't say much since the air was stale. Mulder picked up his pace as he kept on alert. He made it back to the hideout without trouble, without seeing another living person.

He closed himself back in the darkness of their hideout and was careful as he walked down the steps, not wanting to bang his head on the low ceiling. He sat down near the steps and released the duffel bag strap from his shoulder.

"Where'd you go?"

The voice was Cuddy's. He looked in her direction, but he couldn't see her. He opened the duffel bag and took out the flashlight. Mulder turned it on and blinded her with the light.

"Sorry." He lowered the beam to the floor.

"Where'd you get that?" she asked, blinking.

"Found it," he answered, keeping his voice low since he was aware that Scully and William were sleeping. "Hungry?"

"Starving."

Mulder dug through the duffel bag. "How 'bout some soup? I've got two chicken noodle, two minestrone, and two clam chowders."

"Manhattan or New England?" she replied.

"New England," he said.

"I'll take that."

He tossed her the can, then the can opener. He picked the minestrone for himself and set the duffel bag aside.

"I also brought you a change of clothes," Mulder added. "I hope they fit."

"I'm sure they'll be fine," she responded with a small smile. "Thanks."

Cuddy tossed the can opener back and drank the thick soup from the can. She was so hungry and had been without food with any reasonable taste that this soup was the best thing in the world right now despite it being cold.

Mulder opened a can of minestrone soup and quickly began to eat.

"What's it like out there?" Cuddy spoke up, but kept her voice quiet. "Is it day?"

"Yeah." Mulder nodded. "And there's nothing out there as far as I saw."

Scully stirred and let out a quiet sigh. She sat up and looked toward Cuddy first, then Mulder.

"Where did you get that stuff?" she asked.

"I went out," Mulder told her, but kept his head down, eyes on his soup.

"By yourself?" Scully raised an eyebrow. "Mulder, you know we agreed—"

"We needed food," he cut her off and looked over at her. "And a change of clothes. Do want some soup? Clam chowder, minestrone, or chicken noodle."

She paused a moment, holding his gaze, before speaking.

"Minestrone."

He tossed her a can and the opener.

"We should eat, get changed, and then figure out our next step," Mulder instructed and took a swig from his can.

"You mean, you don't have plan?" Cuddy replied.

"Did you?" he immediately responded.

She shook her head slightly. "No."

"We know where we have to go if we want to defeat them," Mulder assured her. "We just have to figure out how to get there without being caught."

"You think that's possible?" Cuddy asked.

He let out a breath. "We're going to find out."


	11. Chapter 11

**XI. A strong connection, a power from within.**

William stirred and opened his eyes. He could hear low voices talking and the room was lit just a touch. He sat up and looked around.

The previous night's events came flooding into his mind, reminding him of the escape, of learning of his birth parents, and talking with Scully all night.

"You hungry, William?" Mulder asked.

The boy looked to Mulder, his father. "Yeah."

"We're having some soup," Mulder responded.

"Do you have chicken noodle?" William raised his eyebrows.

Mulder smiled at him. "You're in luck."

He opened the can of soup and held it out to the boy. William took the soup from Mulder and drank some.

"After you're finished eating, you should get changed," Scully instructed. "Mulder brought clothes. We'll need to get a move on."

"Where are we going?" William asked her.

"There's a way to destroy the super-soldiers," she told him.

"How?" He sipped from his soup can.

"A metal located in a specific rock," Mulder explained. "It's our only chance of survival."

"Since we're finished with our soup," Cuddy cut in, glancing at Scully, "why don't we get dressed and go to the bathroom?"

"Here."

Mulder handed the duffel bag over to Cuddy. She dug through the bag and pulled out some clothes before tossing it over to Scully, who pulled out the clothes she would wear. Scully crawled toward the steps as Cuddy went up them.

"Be careful," Mulder warned.

Cuddy pushed open the door just enough so she could see the outside world. She glanced around before opening the door further and taking a sweeping look. Seeing no sign of anyone else, she stepped out, followed by Scully.

When the door shut, Mulder turned to William and gave him a small smile.

"Sleep all right?" he asked.

"I guess." William shrugged. "She said you worked for the FBI."

"Scully?" Mulder lifted an eyebrow.

"Yeah." William nodded. "And she said your sister was abducted and that people called you Spooky Mulder."

"That's true," Mulder agreed with a small smirk, remember just how long ago those Spooky Mulder days were. "What else did she say?"

"That she loves you," William replied. "And giving up me was the hardest thing she ever had to do."

"That's very much true, too," Mulder responded. "I wish I was wrong about all of this, William. I wish you could have had a normal life, not this."

"You think we can kill them?" William asked him. "Or make them leave us alone?"

"Yes," Mulder answered. He drew the duffel bag closer to himself. "I found something when I was out that I wanted to give you."

He reached into the bag and pulled out the baseball and glove. Mulder handed them over to William. The boy smiled and put his hand into the mitt. He tossed the baseball up and caught it.

"I played shortstop on my baseball team," William told him, his eyes having brightened.

"Did you play any other sports?" Mulder asked.

"Soccer," William said.

"Which do you like better?"

"Baseball." William smiled. "Definitely."

Mulder returned the smile. "You should finish up your soup."

* * *

They had been walking for a few hours. Mulder was leading the way with Scully behind him and William at her side. Cuddy was in the back, trudging along, feeling exhausted.

"Mulder, it's going to be getting dark soon." Scully stepped up next to him. "We need to find some place safe to stay overnight."

"I know," he replied.

"I'm tired," William spoke up. "Can we take a break?"

"Yeah," Mulder answered.

They stopped walking and William sat down on the scorched grass. Mulder pulled a bottle of water out of the duffel bag and handed it to William.

Cuddy drew in a deep breath and looked around. She suspected they were in a neighborhood, but it was completely demolished. It was only the broken bicycles, chunks of a swing set, and a dented grill that told it was a neighborhood and not an area of businesses.

She froze when she saw figures in the distance. Her mouth fell open as she realized they were super-soldiers. They each carried a gun and were quickly approaching.

"Dana." The word came out quiet and strained. "Mulder."

Mulder and Scully turned in her direction and saw the approaching threat. William stood to his feet, a panicked look crossing over his face. Scully stepped in front of him protectively.

The super-soldiers stopped a short distance away, guns aimed at the group. One stepped forward from the line of soldiers.

"Give us the boy and this can be peaceful," he said.

"No," Mulder told them forcefully.

"We will shoot you," the super-soldier replied.

"If you shoot me, you'll kill him," Scully spoke up.

"Then we'll shoot the other two," he replied, nodding at Cuddy and Mulder. "But we are willing to settle this peacefully."

"Peacefully?" Cuddy repeated. "You call killing half the planet and enslaving the rest 'peaceful?'"

"Hand over the child," the soldier commanded. When no one moved, he raised his voice. "Execute the man and the dark haired woman."

"No!"

William pushed his way from behind Scully. He stepped out in front of the adults, his hands raised.

"Don't shoot them!"

The guns flew out of the hands of the super-soldiers and skidded across the rocks and dirt until they collided at William's feet. A hazy rippling skated towards the super-soldiers and they were knocked to the ground, unmoving.

Scully looked to Mulder. "What just happened?"

They both looked down at the boy, who peered back up at them in return.

"Sorry," he said.

"Don't be sorry," Mulder replied, relieved. "You just saved our lives."

"I didn't know I could do that," William told them.

"Come on," Mulder responded. "We should get out of here. Scully, Cuddy, grab a gun. It could come in handy."


	12. Chapter 12

**XII. Even safe havens never feel safe.**

"I'm tired of walking," William whined. His feet hurt and he wanted to rest.

"I know," Cuddy spoke gently and ruffled his hair a bit.

"Here," Mulder said and stopped.

He handed the duffel bag off to Scully and crouched down. He signaled for William to get on his back. William reached around Mulder's neck and Mulder lifted him from the ground and held onto his legs to keep him up.

"Thanks," William told him.

"No problem," Mulder replied.

"Woah."

Scully stopped in her tracks as a man stepped out of a building. He was dressed in faded jeans and a ripped green t-shirt, and was carrying a backpack. He stood there, watching them. Mulder stepped up beside Scully as Cuddy remained behind him.

"Hello!" the man called to them and began to approach.

"Stop right there." Scully aimed her gun at the man.

"Okay." The man stopped and held up his hands defensively. "Let's not get to hasty here."

"What are you?" Mulder asked.

"I'm one of you," he replied. "Assuming you're human."

"Why would you assume that?" Cuddy stepped out from behind Mulder.

"Well, you've got a kid." The man's eyes lingered on William. "Not many of those left. You are human, right?"

"Yeah," Mulder answered. "How do we know you are?"

The man took out a knife and Scully tensed, her gun still on him. He made a cut on his arm and swiped at the blood, holding up his fingers, showing them he bled as they did.

"What do you want?" Scully called out.

"Offer you some shelter and food," the man answered.

"Why would you do that?" she replied.

"We gotta stick together, right?" The man gave them a tight smile. "I've got a crew."

"Where?" Mulder asked him.

"Up the road a bit," he responded. "We keep lookout. Try to help those who pass. Our lookout saw you approaching and I hid out to make sure you weren't one of 'them.' Some who take our hospitality stay with us, others go on looking for hope or help or God knows what."

"I was under the impression this was every man for himself," Scully said.

"Not when you've got a key to fighting these fuckers." He glanced at the boy. "Sorry."

Mulder gave a nod. "What's your key?"

The man withdrew a large chunk of rock from the backpack. He held it up, showing it off, before returning it to his backpack.

"It keeps them away," the man explained. "Saw it destroy one of them once."

"Where did you get it?" Mulder replied.

"About fifty miles from here," the man answered his question. "So you coming or what?"

"We need food," Scully spoke quietly to Mulder. "We need water."

"I don't know." Mulder kept his voice low as well. "What if he's working for them?"

"He has the rock, Mulder," Scully pointed out.

"Cuddy." Mulder turned toward her. "What do you think?"

"I'm exhausted," she said. "Maybe we should go."

"Okay," Mulder called out to the man. "We'll go with you."

"Come on then." He put his backpack on. "It's not too far."

The man began to lead the way. Mulder caught up to his side while Scully and Cuddy followed behind, Scully keeping her hand on her gun just in case this man wasn't who he said he was.

"What's your name?" Mulder asked him.

"Rick," he answered with a nod. "Yours?"

"Mulder." He looked up at the boy. "William. Scully and Cuddy."

"Last names?" Rick replied.

"We're impersonal," Scully spoke up from behind.

"How many people do you have with you?" Mulder went on with his questioning.

"Twenty three."

"Any other children?"

"No." Rick was quiet for a moment. "A family with young children passed through one day though. We begged 'em not to leave, but they didn't listen."

"And the soldiers leave you alone?" Cuddy cut in.

"It's kinda like live and let live," Rick explained it the best he could. "Only because of this stupid rock though. They would have blown us out long ago, but I figure they don't want to start something if we can hurt 'em. There it is."

A six story motel was in front of them. It was missing its top floor and it appeared to be worn down and crumbling. Mulder frowned, a little uncertain.

"Is it safe?" he asked.

"I know it looks a little beat up, but it's sturdy," Rick assured them. "Besides, it's got running water."

"Really?" Cuddy lifted her eyebrows.

"Come on."

Mulder set William down on the ground as Rick stopped in front of a hole in the wall. He knelt down and crawled through. The four glanced at each other before following him through the hole in the concrete wall. The room they entered was dark and smelled musty.

Rick led the way to the door across the room. Scully followed him, kicking rocks and debris out of her way. William held onto Cuddy's hand and she gave a gentle squeeze to his hand in return. Mulder stayed in the back, wanting to make sure that everything looked okay.

When Rick opened the door and led them into a large room with many tables and chairs, the three men sitting there stood to their feet.

"I'm taking them up to the third floor," Rick told the men. "Ask Bryant to bring food up to 311 and 313."

The men hurried out of the room and Rick brought them to a staircase. They headed upstairs in silence and stopped at the third floor. He led them into the hallway and down to rooms 311 and 313.

"Here ya go," Rick said. "Two rooms. You can each have a bed. There's clean sheets and towels. The water runs, but there's no heat. Cold water's better than nothing though."

"I thought you said there's twenty three people with you," Mulder replied, finding this a bit suspicious.

Rick nodded toward the rest of the hallway. The group turned to see a several men and a woman standing in the hall while a few other people looked out from other rooms.

"New people are always intriguing," Rick explained. "Food will be brought up soon."

"Thank you," Cuddy responded.

Rick headed up the hallway, shooing the others into rooms before he went down another staircase. Mulder looked over at both rooms.

"Well... I guess we should go in."

"I want to stay with Lisa," William spoke up.

"Okay." Mulder nodded. "We'll take 313 and you can go into 311. Get cleaned up, maybe a shower or something. We can eat together though, if you want."

"Yeah," Cuddy agreed. "We'll be over after we shower. Come on."

Cuddy ushered William into 311 and closed the door. Scully went into 313 and Mulder followed her in.

"Are you upset?" he asked.

"Nope," she answered quickly.

He could tell she was lying. "Scully..."

"I'm going to shower."

She went into the bathroom and closed the door, shutting him out.


End file.
